Airplane-launching gear



March 19, 1929. F, JEW NS 1,706,065

AIRPLANE LAUNCHING GEAR Filed July 12, 1927 Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

AIRPLANE-LAUNQHING GEAR.

Application filed July 12, 1927. Serial No. 205,214. I

This invention relates to airplane launching gear, and has for its principal ob ect means for attaining flying speed in the shortest ossible space.

eretofore airplanes get into the air by running on level ground until flying speed is attained. When conditions are not favorable, because of heavy load, for example, getting into the air is often attended with considerable difliculty, and sometimes with disastrous results. It is well understood that a plane will carry a heavier load than it can pick up off most flying fields.

These long runs, necessary to attain flying speed, require large fields. Such fields are,

available only at considerable distances from the business centre of'large cities. But even.

if it were possible to find a tract of ground close in, the acreage cost would be prohlbi- 2 tive.

These distantly located flying fields make airplane delivery far less attractive to business than it should be, for the field is the end of swift movement of the ackage or letter.

Between the field and the usiness centre of the city the movement is relatively slow. The airplane cannot, therefore, com te on advantageous terms with-the railroa or the automobile except in the lon .hauls.

Inorder that the swiftly ying air service may be of the eatest possible value, it is necessary that t e termination of the flight shall be as near as possible to the business 1nterests it serves. 1 a Successful landings in very restricted space, as small fields, the tops of large buildings, the decks of mother ships, etc. is provided for in Patent No. 1,634,904. 'The object of the invention of this application is to insure an 40 e uall successful take-ofi from the same. field With this and other objects in view the ins. vention consists of the novel-details of construction and combination: of parts hereinafter disclosedand particularly pointed out in the claims. y

In the schematic drawings herewith, Figure 1' is an elevation, Figure 2 a front-view at the point Y of Figure 1,.and Figure 3 a detail.

In the figures, A is a platform from which the plane may take-off; B the inclined runwa for the wheels; 0 the runway for the taizskid; Da centre pivot which would be (32.2 feet), there is added the power acceleration of the motor itself, it is readily seen end of the first second.

within practical limits.

located in the middle of the field; E a circular track upon which the outer end of the runway may be turned about to face the wind and F a motor for so moving it, or for other useful purpose, as, for example, pulling the plane up the incline, but means for this purpose are so well-known that no illustration is believed necessary for complete understanding of the present invention.

B is a flange-cover or wheelard to prevent the wheels from accidents y lifting off 05 the runway. A similar arrangement for the tail-skid is provided in flanges C under which the lugs C of the tail skid move. Both flanges B and C end at about the point KY of the runway (Figure 1).

With the plane on the launching latform the usual blocks or other acceptab e means would be employed to hold the plane while the engine is warmed up.

The tail-skid is held up by the elevation-of the tail-skid runway C, above the wheel runway B, so that the wings will have less attack angle and, therefore, the least resistance in the downward plunge which 'ves the plane its initial acceleration. As til: plane nears the bottom of the launching way the tail-skid runwa gets lower and lower so that the wings ave an increasing lift angle, automatically with no change in the elevator reuired e stick at climbing angle from the start, while the contour of the tail-skid runway gives the correct air attack angle at the several stages of the launching. The result is that the plane flies off the runway the moment flying speed is attained, and the plane con-- tinues to climb.

When, in this method of launching, to the normal gravitational acceleration of the plane that flying speed is easily attained before the This brings the structural dimensions of the launching gear well The tail-skid runway not only serves to set the correct angle of attack at successive stations of the launching way, but it also guides the plane transversely straight down "the launching way so that the wheels do not bind on the si e rail-guides.

What I claim, is-

1 1. In airplane launching gear, the combiof the pilot. The pilot simply holds 55 nation of an inclined runwa and an air- 3. In airplane launching gear, the combi-. plane tail-skid support-gui e thereon of nation ofarunway,andalateral guide therevarying elevation in respect to the level of on for an airplane tailskid. 10 the wheel-runway. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 5 2. In airplane launching gear, the combisignature.

nation of an inclined runway, and a lateral I 7 guide thereon for an airplane tailskid. CHARLES FRANCIS JENKINS 

